Books like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Looking for books like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (Literary Fiction · 1090L · grades 8–12)? It’s most often read for its themes of disability, family, and independence. The 10 titlesbelow are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, genre, and reading level, and each linked to the curricula, states, and grades where it’s assigned, with primary sources.

These are reading-level matches, not just topical ones — so the picks stay grade-appropriate for a grades 8–12 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Why each is a match

The Pearl1010L
Shares themes of family, same genre (Literary Fiction), and a close reading level (1010L vs 1090L).
Purple Hibiscus920L
Shares themes of family, same genre (Literary Fiction), and a close reading level (920L vs 1090L).
The Secret Life of Bees840L
Shares themes of family, same genre (Literary Fiction), and a close reading level (840L vs 1090L).
The Joy Luck Club930L
Shares themes of family, same genre (Literary Fiction), and a close reading level (930L vs 1090L).
Flowers for Algernon910L
Shares themes of disability, same genre (Literary Fiction), and a close reading level (910L vs 1090L).
The Color Purple670L
Shares themes of family, same genre (Literary Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12).
Of Mice and Men630L
Shares themes of disability, same genre (Literary Fiction), and overlapping grades (8–11).
Pride and Prejudice1100L
Same genre (Literary Fiction) and a close reading level (1100L vs 1090L).
Their Eyes Were Watching God1080L
Same genre (Literary Fiction) and a close reading level (1080L vs 1090L).
A Separate Peace1110L
Same genre (Literary Fiction) and a close reading level (1110L vs 1090L).

← Back to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time